^'jG LAMENESS tROM RELAXED 



confolidated by its Oppofite? — Vol. I. p. 240, 

 we are taught on the other hand, how " the 

 flexor tendons are put too much iipoji the 

 Jlretch, and in time become Jlr dined and defec- 

 tive, — Same volume, page 400, he warns us 

 " of the great degree of diftenfion even tendi- 

 nous parts are enabled to recover, which, as 

 ufually defcribed, are perfe611y inelaftic : yet in 

 pregnancy bot/i miifcles and tendons become ama- 

 zingly dijlended, but on delivery foon regain 

 their former fize and extent. Thus in Mr. 

 Blaine's firll volume, tendons are completely 

 elaftic, in his fecond, abfolutely inelaftic ; but 

 we mud not be too fevere ; between the writ- 

 ing his firft and fecond volume, he had leifure 

 to complete his reading, and make up his mind. 



Mr. Everard Home has lately proved, be- 

 yond all queftion, the irritability of nervous 

 fibres, from an accurate obfervation of the phre- 

 nic nerve of a horfe ; and the experiment ex- 

 a6lly confirms Bracken's opinion. Both the 

 nerves and tendons have been for a confidera- 

 ble number of years generally fuppofed totally 

 inelaflic, and, from the prevalence of fuch er- 

 roneous ideas in our furgeons, as well as from 

 the ignorance of farriers, I apprehend, it has 

 arifen, that fo many horfe-cafes have been 

 merely palliated and quacked, or the animals 

 prematurely and incurably lamed. 



Within thefe few weeks, I have witnefTed 



the 



